HOW WE DO IT
Lived Experience Inclusion
The inclusion of people with lived experience to co-create solutions is a foundational aspect of the Constellation Project.
We believe that homelessness cannot be properly understood or addressed without the contributions and leadership of people with lived experience.
When we refer to lived experience at Constellation, we mean people who are currently experiencing homelessness, who have experienced homelessness at some stage in their lives, or who are at risk of homelessness now or in the past. This may include people who have been exposed to family and domestic violence or financial stress, had contact with the criminal legal system, or mental distress as contributors.
Our success as a systems change focused project is based on embedding lived experience insights across our work. In practice, this means we recognise the value of people’s insights by paying them for their time. We also involve people with lived experience in identified roles throughout the project, including on our board, executive, and in each individual project we do. By recognising and valuing the expertise and agency of those who have personally endured these challenges, Constellation seeks to foster a strengths-based approach that unlocks the potential for systems change and transformation through lived experience inclusion and influence.
Authentic perspective
People with lived experience have a unique understanding of the challenges and intricacies associated with homelessness. This firsthand knowledge provides invaluable insights into the realities, complexities, and root causes of homelessness. Through co-creating solutions with people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, we can develop innovative solutions that address the root causes of homelessness, helping to drive more meaningful, sustainable change.
Ownership and agency
We recognise the insights gained from lived experience as a core skill and a crucial element in addressing homelessness in Australia. However, our commitment extends beyond recognition. We aim to embed these insights across all levels and aspects of our work. It is important to also recognise that lived expertise is just one of many skills and abilities a person can possess. This is why we are dedicated to supporting a diverse range of skills and strengths, enabling people’s ownership of their own stories, and contributing to broader systemic change.
Expertise in solutions
Centring lived experience perspectives and leadership within the project helps us to:
- Move away from traditional top-down approaches
- Enable the ideation and creation of solutions more closely aligned with the lived realities of those affected by homelessness
Breaking systemic barriers
By embedding lived experience from our board though to our decision-making processes and practice in solutions and policy development, we aim to disrupt traditional hierarchies and foster a more inclusive, equitable, and just approach to addressing homelessness.
“There is so much power in these stories to drive change. Their profound reality can bring lived experience issues to the forefront by making them real to others and evoking emotions and personal connection. It’s incredible that the people I interviewed trusted me and were willing to talk to me about such sensitive personal experiences. I believe that giving power to these young people is my greatest accomplishment and contribution since joining Better Journeys.”
– Lorna Robinson, Lived Experience and Project Co-Ordinator
Reflections from Constellation's Lived Experience Voices Report (publicly launched in Adelaide 2022)
Learn more about our work in this space
Lived Experience
Voices Report
Understanding the crucial role that people with lived experience play in providing insight into decisions and solutions that directly affect their community.
Outcomes From
Our Research
With funding from Equity Trustees, Constellation commissioned the RMIT University’s Innovation Catalyst to act as a Learning Partner on a multi-year project that seeks to develop, test and refine an evidence-informed model for lived experience inclusion and leadership in the development and prototyping of solutions to homelessness.
